A suicide car bomber killed a former Floyd County deputy sheriff in Afghanistan this weekend, according to news reports.
Barry Sutton, a 46-year-old Rome, Ga., resident and father of three, died Saturday after the bomber attacked a NATO convoy traveling through a crowded neighborhood in Kabul. Sutton was among at least 12 people who died in the blast, including three American contractors, according to The Associated Press.
Sutton was in Afghanistan to trained local officers in law enforcement as part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission.
The Floyd County Sheriff's Office Facebook page states that Sutton was a deputy from 2009 to 2011.
A former Marine, he also had served as a patrol sergeant and SWAT team member with the Floyd County Police Department.
Afghan security forces and British soldiers inspect the site of a suicide attack in the heart of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 22, 2015. Altogether, he worked in the Rome/Floyd County community for more than 15 years before becoming a contractor for DynCorp International.
"Barry was a solid career officer, Floyd County Police Department SWAT veteran and deputy," Sheriff Tim Burkhalter said on the Facebook page. "A great family man. Barry left law enforcement to provide for his family. He knew the risks and rewards. I'm proud to have associated with him and I mourn with his family and extended law enforcement family."
The Wal-Mart in Rome, Ga., set up a memorial for Sutton with a framed sign that says "In Memory of Our Hometown Hero" with a photograph of Sutton, a white rose and a candle. It's pictured on the Friends of Floyd County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 757-6431.